Target 150,000
Planted 100,000
Remaining 50,000

Trees for Water™

Bhilwara, Rajasthan, India

Available for Adoption: 50,000 Trees

Project Purpose

Trees for Water™

Location

The project involves plantation of trees on the community lands across 8 villages, namely, Nahargarh, Suras, Mehta Ji Ka Kheda, Chansen, Kathano ka Badiya, Kidmal, Kanti, Meno Ka Kheda, Biletha, Mediyan, Jhalra, Goga ka Khera, Itunda, Baroda, Pipliya, Ker ka Kheda, Neelwa, Gorana, Mataji ka Khera, Ragunathpura, Gopalpura, Khakhunda, Shyamgarh, Mala ka Khera, and Gulgav in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, India.

Aim

Groundwater

Recharge

Increase in

Green Cover

Control Soil Erosion

Conservation of

Water Table

Improvement of

Wildlife Habitats

Why trees?
The villages chosen for plantation activity face extreme water scarcity. Scanty monsoon fills up to 0.61% of the dam's capacity. As a result, the city receives less than 260 lakh litres of water daily against the demand of 513 lakh litres of water. Officials of public health engineering department supply water via train/ferry (up to 25 lakh litres of water). Plantation of trees in this drought-prone region is expected to improve the water table. The plantation of trees will hold the water with the help of its roots, preventing them both from percolating deep into the soil as well as getting evaporated, (Victoria State Government). The trees play an important role in the hydrological cycle of the forest ecosystems. Barbara J Bond et al., in her article, ‘How Trees Influence the Hydrological Cycle in Forest Ecosystems.’ Mentions the role of trees in the forest hydrological system.

Tree Species
Trees species planted here include Khair (Acacia catechu), Indian Elm (Holoptelea integrifolia), Karanj (Pongamia pinnata), Babool (Acacia nilotica), Bel (Aegle marmelos), Siras (Albizia lebbeck), Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo), and Amla (Emblica officinalis), Ber (Zizyphus Mauritiana), Khejri (Prosopis cineraria), Kumtha (Acacia senegal), and Neem (Azadirachta indica).

Social Impact
Trees planted will generate approximately over 16,000 workdays of employment for the rural communities and will offset about 2 million kgs of carbon every year upon maturity. Trees, especially drought-tolerant local species, will provide measures to tackle the consequences of drought. The trees in the desert have deep taproots that utilise deep capillary water and through transpiration maintain the moisture of the atmosphere, which in turn induces rainfall. Tree covers prevent evaporation from rivers, reservoirs, and gravitational and capillary water, thus, maintaining the groundwater table and saving water for agricultural purposes. Planting local trees will help in the sustenance of long-term benefits in Bhilwara.

Adoption Summary

Name of the Company	Number of Trees	FY
Bajaj Finance Limited	50,000	2019-20
Dhanuka Agritech Limited	20,000	2018-19
Other Contributors (Individuals)	5,000	2018-19
Agarwalla Timbers Private Limited	25,000	2017-18

Tree Species

Common Name

Botanical Name

Common Name

Botanical Name

Common Name

Botanical Name

Common Name
Indian Elm

Botanical Name
Holoptelea integrifolia

Common Name
Bel

Botanical Name
Aegle marmelos

Common Name
Khejri

Botanical Name
Prosopis cineraria

Common Name
Kumtha

Botanical Name
Acacia senegal

Common Name
Khair

Botanical Name
Senegalia catechu

33% remaining 100,000 Trees planted
150,000 Trees to be planted

Planters

Audit for Bhilwara, Rajasthan

INDEPENDENT AUDIT

Bhilwara, Rajasthan

Excerpt

Total saplings planted in Bhilwara district were 50,000 across 10 villages in 2017-18. Out of which 25,000 saplings were exclusively supported by Agarwalla Timbers Pvt Ltd in FY 2017-18 in 4 villages. Strong fencing was built around the area of plantation in order to stop the Tre Passing of the animals. Cover over the plants were kept in order to protect them from being eaten away by the animals. These multiple efforts have ensured the survival rate of 92%.

The planting has been carried out as per the plan and the approximate number of saplings physically verified is in agreement with the number of saplings planted (as per the report of Grow-Trees planting partner). We are of the opinion that looking to the steps taken by Grow-Trees planting partner i.e. location of the site, encouragement to planting and positive response from the village to save the planting, the result of the activity will be affirmative.